When we launched Briefcase to Backpack, our content was mainly our own personal career break stories and experiences. A year and a half later, we are proud that much of our content is using other people’s voices. Little did we know that there were so many career breakers on the road and that those numbers continue to grow.

We realize that there are probably many more career breakers out there, yet unless they’ve kept a blog or website on their travels, it’s hard for us to know who they are – and they may not realize that we are out here as well. But the recent article in The New York Times changed that, and we are thankful!

Here are a few comments we received from career breakers past and present:

“Congratulations on the Career Break mention in the NYT. I attended the event recently in Toronto. I just wish I could have harnessed the energy in that room.

My family (amazing wife and 3 great children ages 6, 9, and 11) had just returned from an Around The World 37 country, 41 flight adventure lasting 322 days. It was a career break of immense proportions. After losing my job July 31st, 2009 we departed on September the 3rd with a world map, a lap top and a curiosity to explore the world.  We met people who shared their lives with us.  We experienced places that we’ll never forget.  And we enjoyed things that changed our lives.

Never Stop Exploring (Borrowed from my North Face back pack), whatever the world has to offer you.”

“My husband and I quit our jobs this past January and are in the midst of a round the world trip.  Today we happened upon your website and got very excited because we could relate to your content 100%.  We have no regrets about our choices to travel, and it makes us happy whenever we see others promoting and supporting those who choose to make such a big decision.”

“I found your website referenced in the New York Times article.  What a great site!  I have really enjoyed reading the articles and posts.

I was more or less forced into my own ‘gap year’ at 48 years old, when I was laid off from my job.  I was working for American Express in Manhattan after the September 11th attack in 2001.   Since the industry of travel came to a halt, American Express laid off 14,000 employees of which I was one.  So I took my severance package and turned it into a 28 leg round the world ticket, backpacking solo through 33 countries.

At the time, ‘blogging’ was not really mainstream, and there were very few resources for planning an around the world journey, particularly for a middle aged woman traveling solo!   So it is great to see your site as a reference to encourage people to have this experience.  It was the greatest year of my life thus far!   I have since been rehired back by American Express, but still contemplate doing it all over again.

Thanks for helping plant the seeds of wanderlust in other US citizens, as travel is the greatest educator on the planet!”

“I just wanted to say thank you.  I found your website through the recent NY Times article.

I’ve just passed the 2-year mark of my intended 3-year career break and more than once I’ve wondered if I was the only person “crazy” enough to leave a 6-figure salary and all the trappings of upward mobility 🙂 for the life experiences that come with traveling the world.

As I start preparing for re-entry, I’ll look to your website for what I’m sure is a wealth of information.”

We look forward to many more voices in the future.